Why's it called a "tealight"?
By webeishere
@webeishere (36313)
United States
March 27, 2009 11:19am CST
I have a lot of tealight holders in my house. They get a lot of use. I have started to buy and burn scented candles in them recently. My favorite is Vanilla scented. I really don't want a flowery scent as I get that comes spring. So my questions are as follows, do you burn tealights and if so scented or unscented? Why are they called tealights anyhow?
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
3 people like this
24 responses
@Elkeliini (264)
• Finland
27 Mar 09
I burn them in the winter or on dark evenings when I am watching tv or something similar. (or of course a romantic evening at home...) I prefer unscented as smells become easily too much. Although I had once candles that smelled like cappucino! that was lovely.
I am not sure why they are called thealights but my best guess is that they originate as candles to put under the theapot to keep it warm. mind you, its a guess and not a knowledge.
cool question though!
3 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
27 Mar 09
I burn candles of all osrts a lot in my house.
I also use potpourri burners with natural oils for the scent.
Those wrok great at masking odors from cooking/smoking etc.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47677)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Mar 09
Elkeliini you're absolutely correct in your guess. They're also used under chafing dishes to keep food warm, as well as gravy boats, butter dips, fondues, etc.
1 person likes this
@tyc415 (5706)
• United States
27 Mar 09
I have no idea why they are called tealight unless it was named that for using to keep a small tea pot warm? hahaha I have no idea. I don't normally use tealight candles. As for scents, I like several. I like the clean smelling ones that smell like you just walked out in a nice spring rain shower, also vanilla, mulberry and my daughter love mcintosh apple and it smells really good also.
3 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
27 Mar 09
Maybe that's why. I know at my wifes work they have small steel pots for tea and coffee that would work on top of these candles.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
2 people like this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
28 Mar 09
Good thinking, my friend. I think you're probably right about why they were called tealights, and I think you'll also probably find that the name came from China or Japan, as they used to keep their tea heated this way.
Brightest Blessings my friend. Hope you're feeling good tonight! xx
1 person likes this
@cassandralynn (1084)
• United States
27 Mar 09
I really don't know why they are called "tealight" candles. But I'm guessing that they were made for those type of old fashion teapots some people have that has a small candle holder under the teapot that holds a small candle and when lit the tea or apple cider stays warm in the pot because of the small tea light candle placed under the pot.. That is just a guess on my behalf because my stepmother uses a tea pot like that during the holidays and she has been using it for over 25 years before tealight candles became the latest craze in candle burning.I love tealight candles because they are not messy to clean up after I burn them because of the metal cup and they come in scented and unscented and I can buy a large bag of them for a dollar at the dollar stores and they are just as good as the more expensive brands I can buy elsewhere.. But sometimes I buy the more costly brands because they have such amazing scents! I do love burning candles & nice smelling incense in the evening & late at night. I have a trunk in my living room that is packed full of various candles that I keep by stand by just incase my power goes out during a snow or thunderstorm ( which has happened more then a few times since I have lived in the house I currently live in)
Vanilla is one of my favorite candle scents also. I also love Lavender scent as well.I burn unscented and scented tealight candles, just depends on my mood.
2 people like this
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
27 Mar 09
I love burning the tea lights, I dont burn them as much as we use to since we have kids that are 5 and under in the house and my 5 yr old automatically knows that candles get blown out...so he always tries!!
my favorite scents are the spice ones... like orange spice... or mandrin spice... those always smell so nice. I love burning candles alot of any kind, not just the tea lights, but what is so great about the tea lights is they dont melt or drip on anything...they stay inside that little cup...so no mess to clean up when they are done.
happy mylotting.
3 people like this
@lologirl2021 (5542)
• United States
27 Mar 09
I use these tealight candles through the house. I use them for burning other scented candles. Not sure what they are called, but i put the tealight underneath and the other scented candle goes on top while it is burning and making the room smelling good. They are cheap and good for a lot of uses. I have seen them being used at weddings also.
3 people like this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
28 Mar 09
I like vanilla, but I also like the musky scents, like Patchouli, Ylang Ylang, and Lavender is my favourite flowery one, followed by Jasmine. Lavender is very relaxing my friend. Maybe you should give it a try? I do burn tealights but I prefer to have a good sized candle, for the time it lasts. Sometimes, if I don't have a scented one, I'll put a few drops of essential oil into the tea lights. I think they were probably called tea lights by the Chinese or Japanese... that's what I've always imagined anyway... lol.
Brightest Blessings, my friend.
1 person likes this
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
28 Mar 09
Yes I do burn tealights and also the larger candles.
They are called tealights because it is a candle used in tea or food warmers or (because they last for many hours) as a night light. It is different from a regular candle in that it is encased in a thin metal cover and liquefies completely while lit.
Tealights are often used to heat fondue and as food warmers. They are also suitable for accent lighting and for heating scented oil. In tealights the wick is tethered to a piece of metal to stop it from floating to the top of the molten wax and burning before the wax does.
Generally, tea lights give off very poor light unless grouped together with many other tea lights; they were designed to be a long-lasting comfort light rather than a working or reading light. Tealights may be distinguished from Nightlights by the duration of burning; a tealight usually burns for 4 to 5 hours but a nightlight, which is larger, is intended to burn for a whole night (about 8 to 10 hours).
,
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
28 Mar 09
Yeah most do last about 4 hours or a little more. I burn a lot of varipous sized and shaped candles. Whatever I find cheap I buy and burn usually. Hahahaha! Thanks also. Good info you gave. Truely appreciated it all.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
27 Mar 09
Thanks.
They make for a great ambiance when a few are lit.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
1 person likes this
@guybrush (4658)
• Australia
28 Mar 09
I think they're called tealights because in some countries they use them underneath little teapots to keep the tea warm on the table. I burn plain ones, underneath scented oil or wax melts. I don't particularly like floral scents either, but I have some melts which smell of Moroccan spices, and a really nice one which smells of coffee. I also like vanilla, ginger, sandalwood, etc.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
28 Mar 09
Moroccan spices sound like something I would like. I would also like sandalwood.
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
27 Mar 09
I think they are called tealights because they are small and give a limited amount of light. Traditionally a tea room would have low lighting so that one would relax when drinking their tea, or other beverage. Maybe it started during prohibition, so that the authorities couldn't see what was going into the tea...or other beverage...lol.
2 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
27 Mar 09
Now this sounds logical as well.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
@moneymommy (3418)
• United States
28 Mar 09
Tealights are nice. I like burning candles and enjoy using them at night. I dont know why they call them tealights.
@noquite0325 (473)
• China
28 Mar 09
I think it`s great to smile this flowery scent.Sometimes i`ve read some healthy magzine,they said this smile is good for our body.I`ve tried many times,and really very useful.But i don`t use that tealight,i only drop a little Lavender essential oil into hot water,and put my foot inside.I could read books or listen music or other things within half an hour.I`ve use that way about half a mouth,and one day i suddenly found my foot is becoming white and white.It`s so magic,and i feel a good dream every night.
Of course,tealight is also very good for use.Someday i`ll buy one.
@Acountant803 (18)
• China
28 Mar 09
I hadn't many experiences about cosmetology. There is no doubt that women like beauty, of course ,including me. I was born in country, having not much money to buy skin cares and cosmetics. But I eat lots of vegetables and fish which were seeded in my garden and pond. They are very good for our health and skin. Of course, essential skin cares are impportant. They can make your face becoming whiter and whiter. Good sleepping and appropriate sports make you perfect body.
@cosaaranada (35)
• Indonesia
28 Mar 09
i like tealight.
it's sweet.
nobody hate tealight.
they always liked it too.
that can make us fill fresh.
belive me.
tealight is the best.
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
28 Mar 09
The little lights in tin holders started out as candles to keep tea or other hot food warm for an extended period of time. I like Vanilla, but I also enjoy some of the spicier fall scents, like pumpkin spice, or apple.
@sophie_dfuss (2365)
• Philippines
28 Mar 09
Hi Grandpa Bob!
I tried to look for answers on internet but no luck, I don't know why its called tealight candles. I also like Vanilla as it smells sweet and plain.
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
28 Mar 09
I use tealights, they are unscented. I use them in a oil burner, I used to use them a lot years ago but stopped and recently discovered that the oils I used to use were still available and so invested in some tealight candles a burner and some oils. I love the smell the oils give off! I find that the scented candles do not seem to give off a lot of scent, and I have no idea why they are called tealights.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
28 Mar 09
I don't have many tealight holders in my house, so I don't burn them that much, in fact I don't think I burn them at all. I mostly buy the candles in the jars or votive candles, my favorite scent are the sweet ones, like black cherry, or cucumber melon, those two are my favorite, and I have no idea why they are called tealights..
@hotsummer (13837)
• Philippines
28 Mar 09
i don't use tealight. i have tried once before. i liked it. but forgot already to buy one again. or buy those scented candles. cause they are quite expensive for us to buy them and use them regularly. a
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
28 Mar 09
I use tealights all the time to heat my tea in my dragon teapot. I was trying to find the origins and these are the only two articles I came across. Happy reading. Namaste-Anora
Candle History:
http://www.onlinediscountmart.com/floating-candles.html
http://www.candlewic.com/candlemaking-history.asp